Travel News - NYT Columnist: Steal seats, bully others, use knee defender

If this belongs in Newsstand, please move it. But I thought there would be more interest here. Likewise, if this has already been posted, just delete this. I didn't see it anywhere.

Michelle Higgins opines in her most recent NYT Practical Traveler article, entitled How to Avoid That Cramped Seat (http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/travel/how-to-find-the-best-seat.html?ref=travel#h[]), that one should just swap away one's aisle seat to seat poachers, as she did recently and was eventually awarded an exit row seat. People wanting to use oversized laptops should just order those in front of them not to lean back; same for tall people. Oh, and if you really don't want the people in front of you to lean back, just buy the Knee Defender.

The Knee Defender has been debated before, but for Pete's sake it is banned by all or virtually all airlines. And this woman is telling readers to go out and buy it?

Grrrr!

... that one should just swap away one's aisle seat to seat poachers, as she did recently and was eventually awarded an exit row seat. People wanting to use oversized laptops should just order those in front of them not to lean back; same for tall people. Oh, and if you really don't want the people in front of you to lean back, just buy the Knee Defender.


Are you just hoping that nobody will actually read the article and take your "summary" to be an accurate representation? Aside from the Knee Defender advice (which I agree is sketchy), the other 90% of the article strikes me as entirely reasonable and solid advice for infrequent travelers.

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Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Are you just hoping that nobody will actually read the article and assume your "summary" is correct? Aside from the Knee Defender advice (which I agree is sketchy), the other 90% of the article strikes me as entirely reasonable and solid advice for infrequent travelers.

I quite agree that the OP mischaracterized the content of the article. I did not see any suggestion that passengers "bully or "steal."

I quite agree that the OP mischaracterized the content of the article. I did not see any suggestion that passengers "bully or "steal."
It was the whole idea that if someone steals your seat, just let them have it, maybe you'll end up with an exit row seat with a free glass of wine, which might happen in one case out of 10.

Or take this quote: "The guy in front of you has leaned his seat all the way back, pushing the top of your laptop down just far enough to make it impossible to watch a video." It's the suggestion that someone who leans their seat back is infringing on the rights of the guy with giant laptop.

I agree the article had some good advice. But a couple of items of outrageously bad advice are enough to do an article in. I mean, how does a travel writer recommend the "Knee Defender" in a major newspaper column after all the airlines have banned it?

I must have read a different article, as I didn't see anybody stealing seats or bullying anybody.

It was the whole idea that if someone steals your seat, just let them have it, maybe you'll end up with an exit row seat with a free glass of wine, which might happen in one case out of 10.


But your title begins with "NYT Columnist: Steal seats ...", which strongly implies that the columnist suggests seat-stealing as a way to get a better seat. The advice is actually the opposite: if your seat is poached, you might be able to get a better one if you're flexible and talk to an FA. Happened to me on multiple occasions (with free drinks when the move involved, say, giving my seat to parents who needed to sit with their kids).


Or take this quote: "The guy in front of you has leaned his seat all the way back, pushing the top of your laptop down just far enough to make it impossible to watch a video." It's the suggestion that someone who leans their seat back is infringing on the rights of the guy with giant laptop.


No different from the ubiquitous FlyerTalk hyperbole about someone "reclining into one's lap," as if the person's seat was literally crushing your nether regions. Just an evocative image to get the story going.


I agree the article had some good advice. But a couple of items of outrageously bad advice are enough to do an article in. I mean, how does a travel writer recommend the "Knee Defender" in a major newspaper column after all the airlines have banned it?

Agreed. But most likely the result of laziness (i.e. the author heard about it somewhere and threw it in without doing any research), and the one and only item of bad advice I could find in the article.

"NYT Columnist: Steal seats, bully others, use knee defender"

Thanks op. Nice Article. (http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/travel/how-to-find-the-best-seat.html)

So she advocated the knee defender. Big deal.

If this belongs in Newsstand, please move it. But I thought there would be more interest here. Likewise, if this has already been posted, just delete this. I didn't see it anywhere.

Michelle Higgins opines in her most recent NYT Practical Traveler article, entitled How to Avoid That Cramped Seat (http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/travel/how-to-find-the-best-seat.html?ref=travel#h[]), that one should just swap away one's aisle seat to seat poachers, as she did recently and was eventually awarded an exit row seat. People wanting to use oversized laptops should just order those in front of them not to lean back; same for tall people. Oh, and if you really don't want the people in front of you to lean back, just buy the Knee Defender.

The Knee Defender has been debated before, but for Pete's sake it is banned by all or virtually all airlines. And this woman is telling readers to go out and buy it?

Grrrr!

Maybe the wrong link was included in OP to a different article he was referring to?

Obviously a creative summary of the article to say the least?

As the OP, I find it interesting that so many here find the column just great. It would seem from reading the comments on the NYT that many of those readers took away from it the same thing that I did, including the observation that Higgins' "play nice" strategy is a sure loser.

As the OP, I find it interesting that so many here find the column just great. It would seem from reading the comments on the NYT that many of those readers took away from it the same thing that I did, including the observation that Higgins' "play nice" strategy is a sure loser.

In my experience it's absolutely not a "sure loser." But I guess if you've never tried playing nice, you might see it that way.

Most of the other advice in the article - use ExpertFlyer, SeatGuru, pay for a better seat if you want it, etc. - is precisely what you'd find on FlyerTalk.

If this belongs in Newsstand, please move it.

Your description belongs in dreamland. Very misleading :td:

Your description belongs in dreamland. Very misleading :td:
Really? I made similar comments on the NYT page and it has been rated one of the top comments. This was by people who had read the article. Many others took away the same thing I did from the article, as can be seen from other comments.

Yeah, and in the comments section you got somebody who says they travel with C-clamps to screw onto the tray table so the person in front of them can't recline it.

Good company there, associating with the comment section.

Really? I made similar comments on the NYT page and it has been rated one of the top comments.

Wow. Congratulations!

Ive always noticed when I fly that the people who get mad about having the person in front of them recline their seats have NO problem reclining their own seats into the person behind them. Such hypocrisy

Ive always noticed when I fly that the people who get mad about having the person in front of them recline their seats have NO problem reclining their own seats into the person behind them. Such hypocrisy

Are those the same people who try to cram stuff under their seat so it won't be in their own footwell?